


Last Year's Snow

by andreawrites



Category: Kit Harington - Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Being Lost, Christmas, Christmas Cookies, Christmas Eve, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Smut, F/M, Friendship, Reminiscing, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-24
Updated: 2016-06-24
Packaged: 2018-07-18 00:12:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7291786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/andreawrites/pseuds/andreawrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rosalee’s last six years have been everything but successful. Her dream of becoming a model turned out to be a much harder task to complete than she had firstly anticipated. What will happen when she comes home for Christmas, having to keep up with her mother’s constant scolding? And when a famous guest, who also happens to be her childhood best friend, makes a sudden appearance on her parents doorstep and comes back in her life; will she be able to find the balance between the newly discovered feelings for him and their slightly forgotten friendship?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Reminiscence

**Author's Note:**

> The story is happening around Christmas time, everything else is explained later. Let me know what you think of it, and thank you for giving it a try. It should consist of more parts.

"Rosie, can you check if the cookies are done?"

Rosalee's mother's voice echoed from the living room and the blonde sighed, jogging down the stairs in her parents’ house.

"Alright, mom!" She called back, stepping into the kitchen with her fluffy Christmas socks, leggings and an oversized sweater.

The burning smell which came from the oven alarmed Rosalee and she bridled her nose, pulling the tray, of slightly, over-baked cookies, out.

"Rosalee! I told you to keep an eye on the cookies! Look what you've done!" Her mom, which went by Anne, scolded her as she suddenly appeared in the kitchen next to her. Rosalee groaned, letting her eyes roll at her mother's complaining.

"You didn't tell me to look after them, just to check," she argued, folding her arms.

"Why can you never do anything right?"

Rosalee's hands dropped in anger and she stormed out of the kitchen, feeling useless in fighting with her impossible mother. She was never good enough for her, no matter what she did. Of course, her older brother Jimmy had to be perfect in every way, running a great business in Australia and already being married with a kid and one on the way. Rosalee, on the other hand, was the failure of the Scarlson household, the black sheep.

When she moved out six years ago, she thought she was finally going to prove her mother wrong and start a good career in modelling. But living in the big New York City and trying to become a well-known model was more difficult than she had imagined. After six years, she was broke, with no apartment and no future.

It was Christmas time and to her parents' request she decided to spent the holidays at her old house. She had no other place to go; that was the cruel reality she was terrified to tell her parents.

"Oh, Kit is on TV! Rosie, come and look, our Kit is on TV!"

Her mother's words pulled Rosalee out of her thoughts and she had to wait a moment to collect herself. Kit. Kit Harington, the boy next door, who she has known her whole life. They've been best friends since the age of 5 and now it felt like decades since she had last seen him. Besides all the filming and interviews and everything he had done.

He was one of the people in this town that actually succeeded in life. He moved to LA a couple of months before Charlie contacted Rosalee. He went across the sea, searching for success and expecting nothing. But he made it and he was surely at a better point in his life than Rosalee. She knew that and her mother didn't let her forget it.

Rosalee walked into the living room, her eyes catching the sitting figure of Kit on the TV with an interviewer beside him. He was different, his dark brown, almost black hair, longer. He also had a beard now, which made him look older and more mature than Rosalee remembered him. A knot of jealousy and regret formed in the pit of her stomach. She missed him and she wished they wouldn't grow apart so much.

"Isn't he wonderful?" Her mother squeaked in excitement, squeezing her apron as she watched Kit talk and smile and laugh.

"Yeah, he's brilliant," Rosalee sighed, biting the inside of her lip as she watched the TV and her mother blankly. Her mom will never look at her like she was looking at Kit now. Proudly. Rosaleee realised with a bitter taste in her mouth, her mother is never going to be proud of her.

She slowly turned around just as the interview ended and the host changed the topic, going on with his show.

"Ah, did you know his parents are spending Christmas in Egypt? In Egypt!" Rosalee's mom trailed on, not really knowing her daughter was already making her way out of the living room. But she heard her nevertheless. "Too bad Jimmy isn't here..."

Stepping outside, she breathed in the cold winter air. The town was covered in deep snow, but the sun was shining warmly through the clouds. Rosalee narrowed her eyes at the brightness of the snow, seeing her dad sit on the front porch.  
He looked up when he heard her close the door and smiled. Rosalee sat down next to him and watched him work on a bird’s house he was just repairing. Her father was the first one who broke the silence.

"I'm happy you are back for the holidays," he grinned, sticking a nail in the wood and nailing it to its place.

"Me too," Rosalee nodded, looking ahead and across the road to their neighbour's house. She remembered Kit again, who used to live there. His parents still do, but the house looked empty now, no vehicles parked in front and all the curtains dropped, which made sense since they were in Egypt.

"Have you heard anything from Charlie?" The question hit her more thoroughly than she would have imagined.

Charlie was her boyfriend back in New York and he was also her agent and photographer for awhile. He was the one who first discovered her and promised her she'll become a famous model. He introdused her to the modelling industry. Of course she believed him; he was charming and very persuasive. But almost a year ago, he disappeared and left her alone. She had found out a few days later that he was not a real agent in the first place, but a con artist. She was crushed and since then it was only getting worse for her.

Rosalee shook her head, staring down at her palms."No, I haven't. Dad, he's not coming back."

"I just thought... you looked really happy..." He paused, the silence landing between them.

"I've missed you," Rosalee said after a while, meeting dad's smile.

"I did too, sweetheart," he agreed, looking into her eyes as she sighed.

"Are you managing? Any job opportunities?"

Rosalee bit her lip, closing her eyes for a moment. She had to tell him, she had to tell him she lost her apartment and she had nowhere to go. She didn't want to tell her mom, but dad was always there for her and she could tell him everything.

"No, dad, I... I actually..." There was a shallow breath that escaped Rosalee's lips as she tried to explain her situation. "I lost the apartment."

Dad's hand halted in mid air and he turned to her daughter slowly. "How?" He asked, worry shining in his eyes, but there was no sign of anger.

"I couldn't pay for it anymore. I can't find any jobs, dad. I'm trying really hard but there's no luck. I'm really sorry."  
She was beginning to cry and her dad clutched her hand tightly, pulling her in his embrace.

"Oh, sweetie, it's alright. You can stay here, move in again, we'll work this out, I'm sure."

Rosalee smiled but then her lips dropped, "Dad, I don't want to live with you and mom again, I'm 26, I don't want to be a burden."

"You're our little girl; you're never going to be a burden." Dad shook his head, rubbing her shoulder in comfort.

Rosalee sighed sadly and then nodded, "It's just for a little while, until I find something. I promise I'll find a job."

"I'm certain you will, sweetie," he smiled, starting to work on the bird house again. She wished she could be that certain.

-

It was later in the day, the evening was nearing and Rosalee sat outside on the porch with her dad until the sun set and her mother called them to come inside.  
It was Christmas Eve and her mother has been working on the traditional dinner all day. Rosalee hated these kinds of dinners, because her mother had always found some bad thing in her daughter's life and she would talk about it for so long, Rosalee usually lost it and their fight would end with Rosalee storming out of the dining room.

"Mom, why are there four plates?"

Rosalee scanned the beautifully decorated table in the dining room, her red knee high dress rustling as she walked around it. Her black pumps were making a soft tapping sound against their wooden floor. Her mom appeared in the dining room, placing some more forks on each side of the plates. Her eyes were twinkling in excitement. She was also wearing a nice Christmasy looking dress, red and green dots spreading down the black fabric.

"We're having a guest," she almost sang and hurried back into the kitchen.

"A guest?" Rosalee asked in disbelief, looking at the open arch which lead into the kitchen. Her mom didn't mention anything about a guest. Besides they never used to have guests for a Christmas dinner.

"Is Jimmy coming home?" She tried, hoping to get a yes from her mom. It would actually be nice to see her brother again, especially because her mom would be too busy praising him instead of scolding her.

Anne appeared in the dining room once again, carrying a huge bowl of salad. "A famous guest," she winked, ignoring her daughter's last question.

Quirking her brown eyebrow, Rosalee couldn't remember which one of their relatives was famous.

"Mom, what are you -" The sound of the doorbell cut her question and before she could say anything else, her mom had already ordered her to go open the doors.

Rosalee sighed tiredly, fixing her dress briefly before opening the doors to their house. Who in the world could have agreed to come to their Christmas dinner? Who would be so -

Her breath got caught up in her throat and she felt every single bit of air leave her body. She stared at the guest in front of the doors in shock.

"Merry Christmas, Rosalee. It's been a while."

Her mouth opened slightly as she tried to speak, but was at loss of words. It took her a whole minute to recollect her thoughts and finally utter a word of sense.

"Kit?" She heard herself breathe out in disbelief, blinking dumbly at the dark haired man in front of her. "What are you doing here?"

He chuckled somehow uneasily as if he was a little uncomfortable standing there.  
"Now, is that any way of greeting your old friend? And, your mom has invited me to stay over during the holidays since my parents are travelling. Have there been any changes?" He raised his brows, waiting eagerly for Rosalee to say something back.

"No, I - I don't think so..." she muttered, biting on her bottom lip and completely forgetting she was probably ruining her red lipstick. They stood there awkwardly.

"Alright then, are you going to let me in? It's freezing and I'm getting cold in some parts of my body I would really like to keep," he joked, a smirk ghosting across his lips.  
Rosalee's cheeks turned bright red and she let out an embarrassing chuckle, stepping aside for Kit to enter.

"Of course," she looked down at her feet and before Kit got the chance to say anything else, Rosalee's mother appeared in the hallway, her squeaking voice making them both jump.

"Oh, Kit, my darling, you've made it! It's so wonderful you're here!" She exclaimed, pushing Kit further inside the house and into the living room.

Rosalee was left standing in the hallway and she quickly shut the doors, the cold air making her shiver. She could hear her mother's voice from the other room as she assured Kit he should feel right at home, yelling at Rosalee's dad to take Kit's suitcase up the stairs and into the guest room.

Rosalee let out a deep breath, shaking her head to clear it. He was here, she couldn't believe, Kit, her childhood best friend, was actually here in her parents’ house. It felt impossible. Her face dropped when she realised how much of a pain her mother's going to be in these next few days, spending every second of her life comparing Kit's successful life to Rosalee's failing one.

Groaning quietly, she made her way into the living room, her eyes stopping on the figure standing by the fireplace. Kit was turned away from her, looking at the old pictures on the shelf above the fireplace. Rosalee took the moment to observe the man in front of her.

He definitely grew as a man, when she last saw him he had the body of a boy still. His hair was longer and much curlier, which she had noticed earlier watching him on the TV. And the way he held himself... it was mature and at the same time very soothing for her eyes.  
She couldn't explain why she felt relaxed in his presence, even though they haven't seen each other for over six years.  
The sound of her heels made him turn his head to her and he smiled when he met her eyes. She walked closer to him and her gaze drifted to the pictures.

Most of them were of her family, of her brother Jimmy and herself. And then there were two of her and Kit; one of them being them playing in the snow and the other one was of them graduating.  
Her lips formed a small smile as the memories took over her mind. She didn't know it was now Kit's turn to check her out.  
His eyes travelled across her face slowly and then down her body, all the way to her black pumps, and up again. She grew taller, he realised and her body definitely grew in some places. He couldn't help himself noticing the way the dress wrapped around her curves, clinging onto her like second skin. She has also dyed her hair, her previous natural brunette colour now only showing at the roots. The rest of the hair was dyed a golden blonde shade and Kit had to admit it suited her.  
Her eyes, however, were still the bluest colour he had ever seen on a person.  
When she sensed his intense gaze, their eyes met again and he knew he should break the silence.

"I can't believe your mom kept all these," he started, pointing his head at the pictures and Rosalee smiled, nodding her head.

"Yeah, it's been a long time since I've last seen them. What like six years?" She questioned.

"Five and a half," Kit corrected her and met her bright icy eyes as they flicked to him.

"You've grown taller," he continued, a twinkle in his eyes as she chuckled. "Don't worry; I still have the height of a fifteen year old girl. It's the shoes," Rosalee grinned, lifting one leg to emphasize her statement. His gaze followed hers and he shook his head.

"How about you, huh?" Rosalee quirked an eyebrow at him. "I think you'd beat me when it comes to changes. The beard," she eyed his jaw and Kit laughed.

"You look like a grandpa," Rosalee teased, more laughing coming from Kit's mouth.

"That was definitely not the look I was going for," he assured, sticking his hands in the pockets of his black trousers.

"And the long hair," Rosalee went on, her eyes travelling across his face.

"Yeah, I have to have it this long because of my job," explained Kit.

"Game of Thrones, right?" Rosalee remembered the name of the series as the interviewer mentioned it earlier. Kit nodded simply.  
"I've been so lucky getting this opportunity."

"I'm sure you worked hard for it," Rosalee shrugged, sending him a smile.

"I have, yes. But, how about you? Any luck with modelling?" He asked and Rosalee's expression grew sadder. She didn't want to tell him of her big failure, not to him, who was so successful and famous. She remembered how they always talked about their futures and how they're going to achieve their dream jobs. He had done it, but she hasn't.

"Well, the thing is -" she started slowly, avoiding his curious gaze.

Her words were cut off by her mom, calling them into the dining room. The dinner was ready and Rosalee was for some weird reason happy her mother interrupted their conversation. She hoped she won't have to reveal her embarrassing story to Kit.


	2. Damp Sweaters

They sat down around the fully packed table, Kit and Rosalee on one side and her parents on the other.

The atmosphere was nice, her mother asking Kit a million questions about his life and fame and his career. Rosalee ate in peace and for some time it actually felt like she was having a good time. She forgot about her mother's scolding for a good twenty minutes. Until her mother started out of the blue the topic of Rosalee's modelling. It only went down from there.

"If only our Rosie got a chance like you, Kit, instead of messing around with that no good boy," her mother started, a thick silence lying between all of them.

Rosalee stopped eating, the fork with a piece of turkey still in her hand. She didn't just start that conversation, she thought desperately, her stomach twisting.

"Mom, I didn't mess around with him," she hissed, feeling Kit's eyes on her face.

"Yes, you did, Rosalee. Charlie was bad for you, he led you on and now look what's left of your silly modelling career. You should have listened to us and went to college," she went on, her voice rising every now and then.  
Rosalee watched her in disbelief, her cheeks heating up in embarrassment.

"Darling, enough, we have a guest," her father spoke up, smiling politely at his wife.

"Oh, Kit's a part of the family, and he should know how Rosalee messed up." Anne disagreed, shaking her head strictly.

Rosalee had enough of her mother's nasty scolding and she shot up.  
"Shut up, mom!" The words flew out her mouth before she could stop them. She was not proud of talking to her mother in that tone, but the anger got the better of her. She was so tired of constantly being controlled and blamed for her mistakes. She was a human being and she made mistakes just as much as everybody else.

"Don't talk to me in that tone, Rosalee!" Her mom was shocked.

"I'll talk anyway I want to talk! And since you're complaining so much about how screwed up my life is, let me tell you something else! I lost my apartment! Yeah, after Charlie left me, I couldn't get any more jobs. I'm broke."

Her face was burning of anger, her hands in fists as she yelled. The chair she was previously sitting on, was tripped backwards.  
Kit who sat next to her, seemed extremely uncomfortable, ending up in between a family drama.

He didn't know Rosalee's life was so unfortunate and he wished he could make her feel better. He just didn't know exactly how to interfere.

"What?" Rosalee's mother gasping, she now too stood up. "We've taken a loan for that apartment, you silly girl!"

"I'm not a girl, mom! I'm a woman and I make mistakes, okay? Can you for once just accept me and stop comparing me to others?" Rosalee was nearly crying and she didn't want Kit to see her cry.  
She was already mad at herself for losing her control and snapping like that. He probably thought she was a crazy, unstable freak.

"I will stop comparing you to others when you start acting like a grown up woman and do something worth praising!" Her mother shook her head.

Rosalee sucked in a shaky breath, feeling the tears forming in her eyes. Her own mother didn't accept her; she was embarrassed by her because she hasn't achieved anything yet. She was cruel.

Rosalee turned on her heels and left the dining room without saying another word to her mother. Running up the stairs, she shut the doors of her bedroom with a loud bang.  
Throwing her heels in the corner of her room, she sat on the edge of her bed, tears finally spilling down her powdered cheeks. She couldn't stop them no matter how hard she tried. She only cried harder. The aching truth of her mother's rejection hurt her chest and she had to took a couple of deep breaths to start breathing normally again. How could her own mother do that to her?

 

"Oh my, what an ungrateful child I have," her mother sighed after Rosalee disappeared in her room.

Her dad stood up, "I'm going to go talk to her."

Kit shot up quickly, knowing Rosalee wouldn't want to see any of her parents right now.  
"No, I'll go, Mr. Scarlson, she's probably upset," he explained and her dad nodded slowly.

"Wonderful!" Anne exclaimed suddenly and the men both looked at her in disbelief. "I'll make you some cocoa, I know how she loves my special recipe," her smile grew and she started for the kitchen.

"I'm really sorry for tonight, Kit. It's not usually like that," Rosalee's dad said quietly as they waited in front of the stairs for Mrs. Scarlson to bring the cocoa.

Kit smiled bitterly, "I understand and it's fine really, there's no need for apologies."

Her dad smiled back, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his grey trousers. Anne returned with two cups, handing them to Kit and he thanked her, walking up the stairs and towards Rosalee's room.

As he stopped in front of the doors, he could hear her quiet and muffled sobs. She was no doubt bawling her eyes out. He felt bad for her and was suddenly angered by the fact that she was sad.  
A beautiful woman like her didn't deserve to shed a single tear, for nobody. The girl he grew up with was his best friend and he used to share everything with her. Now he felt like a stranger in the house he used to spent so much time in and a stranger to a woman who grew up being more powerful and incredible she will never give herself credit for.

He knocked lightly on the doors, the sobs dying out.  
"Leave me alone, dad. I'm not apologizing to mom!" Rosalee yelled from the inside of her room, her voice cracking.

Kit sighed, opening her doors slowly. The room was dark, the only light coming from the street light through the window and from the hall Kit was still standing in.

"I said leave me -" she started, her voice cutting off when she recognised the man in front of her doors as Kit.

"Oh," she breathed out, turning around and trying to brush the tears off her face quickly.  
Kit shut the doors, placing the two cups of cocoa on the night stand next to her bed. Rosalee was still showing him her back and he didn't know what to say to her, or how to make her feel better.

"Rosalee..." he began quietly, raising his hand to touch her shoulder.

She shook her head, her blonde curls falling around messily. "It’s fine, Kit, you don't have to do this. Just go," she pleaded her voice weak and trembling.

"You're not okay, Rosalee and I'm not going anywhere," he whispered and she turned around when she heard him speak with much more determination than he had expected to.  
She stared into his eyes for a moment before breaking into tears again. Her hands wrapped around him and it took him by surprise as her warm body crashed against his. He stiffened at first, but when he felt her shaking body next to his, he relaxed, embracing her tightly.  
She was so fragile, so weak in his arms and he couldn't explain what he was feeling at the moment.

He just wanted to make her feel okay, fix her, fix everything that was wrong. She kept sobbing and crying in his arms, and he gently stroked her hair.  
They moved closer to the bed and sat down, Rosalee not wanting to leave his embrace. He didn't force her to. When he thought her cries started to fade away, he gently pulled back, cupping her wet face and making her look into his eyes. He mascara was running down with tears, her red lipstick slightly smeared, but he had never seen her more beautiful. How did he never see her in this light?

"Do you want to talk?" He asked gently, brushing a tear from her cold cheek with his thumb.

"No," she gulped stubbornly, puckering her lips.

He smiled, "You'll feel better. I don't blame you for anything, Rosalee, I just wish you would've told me about your job before. I could've helped," he explained, staring into her blue eyes.  
She pulled away, shaking her head wildly. "We weren't exactly the best of friends, Kit, and I didn't want your help, I just... My life was a mess and I was so lost without... without..."

"Charlie," he finished for her and she started to cry again. He quickly pulled her back against him and was glad when she didn't draw back. She snuggled into him and before he knew it, her cries died out completely.

She had fallen asleep in his arms and he couldn't help but smile at the astonishing woman in his embrace.  
He positioned her on the bed and just as he was about to move out of her reach, she hugged him tighter; her hands not letting him leave her bed. Moving a strand of her loose curls from her face, his lips twirled into a small smile and he laid down beside her. He watched her sleep, her chest falling and raising peacefully.

Eventually his eyes began to close slowly, tiredness sweeping over him like a wave and he drifted asleep, his hands positioned around Rosalee's waist protectively.

-

Rosalee's head was throbbing. She felt like she had just woken up from a wild night. Her body moved gently against something warm and hard as she turned on her back, trying to stretch. Someone was keeping her in his grip and when Rosalee turned her head, she was met with a familiar pair of chocolate brown eyes.

“Morning,” he smiled, his gaze causing her cheeks to turn pink. She sucked in a deep breath, sitting up.

“I’m so sorry, Kit, I was a mess yesterday,” she mumbled, rubbing her eyes only to see traces of black mascara and eye shadow on her hands. “Crap,” she grumbled, trying to roll over him as quickly as possible. She disappeared into the bathroom, without giving Kit a chance to say anything back.

He sighed, sitting up himself too and sliding in his shoes he wiggled out the previous night. Walking slowly to the bathroom doors, he knocked lightly.  
“Rosalee, can we talk?” He asked, getting no response from her.

A moment after the doors opened and she smiled awkwardly at his face. “Yeah, sorry. I just needed to clean my face first. I looked like a clown,” she explained, chuckling bitterly.

Kit shook his head, his lips curling up. “You didn’t, Rosalee, and about last night –“

“You shouldn’t have stayed here,” she cut in, closing the bathroom doors after her.

“You didn’t really give me a choice,” he pointed out, explaining quickly how she didn't want to let go of him.

She laughed, “Right, then we should just forget about it. What do you say about that?” Her raised eyebrows made him sigh and he nodded.  
That was the end of their awkward encounter and Kit left her room, jumping in the shower in his own bathroom. Rosalee, on the other hand, cursing under her breath for nearly half an hour after Kit left, dressed up and went downstairs to prepare breakfast.

She found the kitchen and the whole house empty, a yellow note on the table.  
Glancing down at it, she recognised her mother’s writing and read it briefly. They went to the local orphanage, helping the workers there to give out Christmas gifts for the unfortunate children.

Rosalee sat behind the counter, gulping down a spoonful of cereals while humming under her breath. She felt better and even though she hated to admit it, Kit’s consolation from yesterday helped her a lot. She started to feel things were falling back at its place again; who knows, maybe Kit and her will grow closer friends again. She liked that idea.

Just as she was about to finish her breakfast, she heard footsteps down the stars and a second later, Kit’s head popped in the kitchen, followed by his body. He was dressed in tight navy blue jeans, wearing a dark grey sweater over his white shirt. Looking classy and elegant with no real effort, Rosalee thought sourly as she flicked her eyes at him. Moving up his body, she stopped on his face and on his hair, which was in messy curls, still slightly damp from his shower.

“You have any plans for today?” He asked, pulling her out of her ogling. She blushed, biting the inside of her lip and meeting his questioning eyes.

She shrugged her shoulders in answer. “No, nothing special. Why? Do you have something in mind?”

He grinned, causing her to cross her hands suspiciously. “Oh, I just figured we could have one of our old snowball fights. You know, the ones I have always beaten you at.”

She rolled her eyes, huffing, “Of course you have, you cheater. Sneaking up behind my back and stuffing snow in my mouth!”

He laughed heartily at her complaints and shook his head. “Well, you ought to be more careful this time.”

Rosalee narrowed her eyelids. “Oh, don’t worry, I will. I have a plan.”

“You do?” He quirked his dark eyebrow at her.

“Yup,” she jumped up, leaving him alone in the kitchen and wondering what the heck she was on about.

-

“No, Kit , get away from me!” Rosalee’s shriek didn’t stop Kit from knocking her on the snowy ground, his heavy body falling straight onto her fighting one.  
She wiggled her hips under him, trying to free herself as Kit grabbed a handful of snow and formed a ball.

“No, no, don’t you dare,” she threatened, his wide wicked grin causing her stomach to flip. Before she knew it, he pushed the freezing show in her face and she shut her eyes, letting out another scream.

He was grabbing her wrists with one of his hands and she didn’t remember him ever being so strong. She was practically useless under his grip. Some of the melting snow slid down her neck and under her exposed skin on her chest and she moaned, trying to free her hands.

“Kit, stop it, it’s freezing,” she begged, opening her eyes and founding his face almost uncomfortably close to hers.

“What’s the magic word?” He mocked, laughing in between his question.

“Fuck you,” she groaned back, pushing him off, but he barely moved.

“Wrong answer,” he smiled, and Rosalee puckered her lips, sticking her tongue out at him. Without warning, Kit threw another ball of snow at her and she let out a surprised yelp.

Wiggling harder, she bent her knee, trying to kick him where it would hurt him most. But Kit was too quick for her.

“Hey, hey, look who’s cheating now,” he hissed playfully, pushing her hands to each side of her body, so he was towered fully over her. She glared at him, her resistance still on full go.

“Would you stop that?” She rolled her eyes, which resulting in him only leaning harder on her. She grumbled under her breath, meeting his dark eyes.

“What?” She breathed out, her body now sending cold chills down her spine.

She completely forgot to fight him when his hand slowly reached up and he brushed a strand of her damp locks from her face. Her mind went numb and she fluttered her eyes close as soon as he leaned down closer, his hot breath tickling the skin on her cold lips.

A sudden noise of a car approaching made them both snap out of whatever moment they were just sharing.

Kit pulled back quickly, standing up and stretching out his hand at Rosalee, who gladly took it. She was exhausted from the ten minute fight with him and mad at herself for not knowing what the hell was just about to happen between them. They were best friends and he was her high school crush, is she insane? What does she think she was doing?

Rosalee’s parents drove into the driveway, and her dad greeted them warmly.

“Come inside, both of you, I’ve got some great news,” Rosalee’s mom piped, and Rosalee sighed, following her parents and Kit inside. She avoided his gaze for most of the time, but she wasn’t sure if what was about to happen really meant anything to him. He was just trying to be funny and it was probably nothing, she finally concluded once she was in the warmth of her house again.

She pulled the wet sweater over her head, sitting down on the couch next to Kit.

“Here you go,” Anne’s squeaky and excited voice made Rosalee’s eyes roll, but she took her gift anyway. Unwrapping it, she growled in annoyance. A knitted sweater, really? It had a capital letter R on it and it was hideous. The only good thing was that Kit got the exact same gift.

He smiled at Rosalee’s mother and thanked her politely, even though Rosalee knew exactly what he was thinking. He hated the sweater just as much as she did. They exchanged a glance and she snorted, gazing down at her gift again.

“Put it on,” Mrs. Scarlson ordered sweetly and they didn’t have any other choice but to do what she said.

“Oh, you both look so adorable!” Rosalee’s father laughed at his wife’s comment and watched them with a sparkle in his eyes.

“Now, the exciting news,” her mother continued cheerfully. “You all know Katie Bell, right?” Rosalee grimaced her face at the recognition. Katie Bell was Kit’s and Rosalee’s former classmate in high school and Rosalee hated her. Hate was probably not even the right word for how much she loathed that girl. She was absolutely horrendous, especially to Rosalee. She was also Kit’s girlfriend back then, which bothered Rosalee even more.

“Well, we bumped into her at the orphanage and she is throwing a cute little Christmas party at her new house today and when I told her Kit’s staying with us for holidays, she insisted you two come to her party.”

“Mom, I’m not going,” Rosalee cut in, folding her hands stubbornly.

“Rosalee, don’t be rude. You can’t be that selfish, she has invited you both so nicely,” her Mother snickered back, her hands on her hips strictly.

Rosalee scoffed, puckering her lips. Katie Bell was of course the most popular girl in high school and with Kit as her boyfriend, he was too. Rosalee, on the other hand, was not as popular. Most of the people didn’t even know she existed, except for Kit, who was always trying to include her in his group of popular kids. She felt like a complete dumbass whenever she was hanging out with them and she knew they felt exactly the same way. They took her for Kit’s lame friend and nothing else. Katie was the complete opposite of Rosalee. She was very good looking, fully grown in every sense of the word, while Rosalee was flat-chested and with no curves back then. She also had boring flat brown hair, and the only really pretty thing on her was her bright blue eyes.

“So it’s decided, you are going to Katie’s party!” Rosalee’s mom concluded.

Kit smiled and nodded, as for Rosalee, she just mumbled under her breath, her frown showing she was not at all happy about it. What is she even going to wear to Katie’s stupid Christmas party?  
Katie’s life was so much better than hers and that was only because she married a rich old man a few years ago, when she was barely out of high school. Rosalee still believe it was not legal. The old guy was pretty far gone and she knew it, so she used him to get a new house and his money. Katie was a gold digger, even though nobody saw her as that or they didn’t want to admit it because they much preferred to be on her good side.

Tonight was going to be such a pain.


	3. Double Dates

“Are you ready?” Kit’s voice from the hall made Rosalee look up and at the mirror. She stared at her reflection, crumpling her forehead. She looked awful; the dress was not for her liking - it was way too tight. She wiggled out of it quickly.

“Almost,” she yelled at the door and chuckled when she heard Kit’s groan.

“You have ten more minutes, or I’m coming in and carrying you to the party,” he threatened, causing Rosalee to scoff.  
She pulled a new dress out of the closet and stepped into it. The dress was not as tight as the previous one and it was a nice champagne colour. She combed her straightened hair quickly and put on her white heels before exiting the room.

“Wow.” She met Kit’s eyes at his gasp and punched his shoulder when he whistled. “Stop it,” she mumbled, her cheeks growing red.  
“And thanks,” she laughed, eyeing him as well. He was wearing another sweater, this time a black one and with buttons. Under it, he had a greyish shirt with a black tie. His trousers were black and matching his shoes.

“You cleaned up nicely,” Rosalee commented mockingly and Kit thought about slapping her ass, his hand quickly disappearing in his pockets before he could do something like that. He wasn't sure how she would react.

-

They arrived at Katie Bell’s manor late and Kit had to almost drag Rosalee to the front porch. She really didn’t want to see anyone from high school, especially not Katie.

The doors swung open and Katie’s cheery face appeared in front of them.  
“Oh, Kit Harington, how wonderful to see you again!” She exclaimed, pulling him in and into a tight hug. Rosalee rolled her eyes, biting her bottom lip angrily when Katie completely ignored her.

“Merry Christmas, Katie, nice to see you again,” Kit smiled one of his dashing smiles at her, turning to Rosalee then. “We’re happy to be here.”

Katie grinned, batting her long fake eyelashes at him. “Oh, it’s a pleasure to have you, Kit, as always. Rosalee, how are you?” She asked finally, tapping her shoulder awkwardly.

“I’m great,” Rosalee responded, trying to keep her face calm, even though she would much rather hit Katie’s face with a chair.

“Oh, come in, come in,” Katie turned away from Rosalee and back to Kit, pushing him in the other room and leaving Rosalee standing there alone. Rosalee’s hands turned into fists as she watched Kit laugh at Katie’s jokes and meet her new, just as fake, friends.

What was she suppose to do here all night, all by herself? She recognised some of the faces, but didn’t want to start a conversation with them. None of them ever treated her nicely in high school and she had a pretty good feeling they wouldn’t treat her nicely now. So, she pushed through some of them and headed for the huge, modern living room. It was decorated in Christmas spirit and there was a lot of expensive stuff everywhere. Rosalee didn’t fit in, no matter how much she tried to act normally. It disgusted her thinking Katie got all of this because she convinced some poor old guy to marry her out of love.

She plopped down on the white leathered couch, letting out an exhausted sigh. This was really bad and she knew Kit won’t want to leave for at least a couple of hours. She had no idea how she was going to survive this night. She wished she could just disappear in thin air and leave this pointless party already, ignoring the fact that she just got here.

“Would you like some punch?” A man voice hit her ears and she didn’t bother to look up. It was probably some slimy guy from her class that just wanted to get her in his bed tonight. She murmured a 'no' and looked away.

“Come on, you look like you really need some punch,” he repeated and Rosalee groaned, looking into the man’s face finally. “I said I don’t want – “ she began annoyingly, her eyes widening when she recognised the guy.

“Donnie?” she questioned, shaking her head in disbelief.

He smiled and nodded, offering her the punch he’s been holding. She smiled in slight shock, taking the glass and standing up. Donnie was her high school friend and he was one of the only ones that didn’t think of her as a lame freak. And he looked like he was actually happy to see her now. He was a bit of a nerd back then, with full on glasses and funny hair. Rosalee wondered if he was any different from how she remembered him. He still wore glasses, his hair now longer than in high school, down to his shoulder. But it was sleeked back behind his ears just as she remembered. She embraced him and followed him to the corner of the room.

“I’m really happy to see a familiar face,” she smiled, watching his grin grow.

“There are a lot of familiar faces around here,” he pointed out, taking a sip of his punch.

“You know what I mean,” Rosalee rolled her eyes, looking around briefly.

“Yeah,” he chuckled. “So, what’s new? Are you a famous model?” He winked and Rosalee smiled bitterly.

“Not really,” she sighed. “I didn’t really have any good opportunities yet,” she added, her face dropping sadly.

Donnie rubbed her forearm gently, causing her to look up. “You know, if you need any help with your job, I can really help. I know you said back when we were still in high school that you want to achieve your dream job by yourself, but I actually think I can help.”

Rosalee gave him a questioning gaze, waiting for him to continue. “I’m quite good friends with a guy from LA, we work on an engineering project together, and his sister is a famous model, I think she’s one of the Victoira Secret models.”

Rosalee’s eyes widened. “Are you serious?” She gasped, taking his hand. He looked down and smiled slyly, nodding.

“Yes, I don’t really know what her name is, but my friend’s name is Alejandro Lima.”

“Then his sister is for sure Adriana Lima,” Rosalee nodded her head quickly, excitement flowing through her body. “Oh my God, Donnie, do you think you could –“  
She paused, shrugging her shoulders as she didn’t know how to put it.

“Of course, Rosalee, I can talk to Ale and ask for his sister’s number.”

“You’re amazing, you know that?” Rosalee grinned widely, pulling him into a surprised hug. He laughed, snaking his hands around her waist.

She didn’t know how long they have stayed like that, but she pulled away quickly when she heard someone clear their throat. Looking in his direction, she spotted Kit standing next to them, a frown upon his face.

“Kit? What are you doing here?” Rosalee furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

“This is a party, right? I can walk around freely,” he answered, anger present in his voice, which only confused Rosalee more. What was he on about?

“Hey, Kit, nice seeing you again,” Donnie stated, shaking Kit’s hand and by the grimaced expression Donnie made, it was clear Kit squeezed his hand a bit too much.

“Yeah, same,” he mumbled under his breath, gazing at Rosalee. “I need to talk to you,” he informed her coldly, looking around as if he was in a hurry.

“Why? Can’t it wait, I’m kind of in the middle of something with Donnie and –“ Rosalee began but Kit’s eyes flicked to hers and she shut up when she saw the furious glare.

“No, it can’t wait, it’s really important,” he snapped impatiently.

Rosalee shook her head in awe, turning to Donnie. “Okay, sorry, Donnie, I’m going to give you my number and please call me,” she smiled politely at him and he returned the smile, ignoring the Kit’s dangerous stare.

Kit pulled her away from Donnie as soon as she handed him her phone number and, for the second time this evening, almost dragged her outside in the backyard of Katie’s house.

“What is your problem?” Rosalee shook his grip of, crumpling her forehead.

He pushed his hands in the pocket of his black trousers, avoiding her eyes. “Nothing, I just had to speak with you.”

“Then speak,” she folded her arms angrily, raising her eyebrows.

He met her eyes finally and sighed. “Are you having fun?”

Rosalee huffed in shock. “Is that what you wanted to talk about? You can’t be serious, Kit! You’re such an asshole, dragging me away from Donnie like you’re some jealous – “ Rosalee’s voice got louder and Kit grabbed her again, pushing her further away from people.

“I’m not jealous,” he gritted through his teeth. She snapped her hand away from his grasp. “I’m leaving, and don’t follow me, dickhead!”  
She turned on her heels, storming out of the house before anyone could even notice her gone. She forgot her coat inside, but she didn’t care, she knew Kit would take it anyway. Right now, she just wanted to get as far away from him and that stupid party as possible. She was finally starting to have some fun and getting a job opportunity, when Kit had to meddle in and ruin everything. Who knows what Donnie thought when he saw Kit’s crazy stare.

She cursed Kit’s name again, running down the icy sidewalk, not even thinking of how dangerous it was. Thankfully, her parents' house was not far away. She was freezing, but the stubbornness and the anger that was boiling inside her didn’t want to acknowledge it.

She lost her balance suddenly, her knees giving in under her weight and she fell right on her butt painfully. Taking her a few moments to recollect her thoughts and realise what had just happened, she felt a sharp fain sting her knees.

“Rosalee!”

She rolled her eyes at Kit’s voice and tried to stand up, but the slippery sidewalk was covered with ice and there was no way she could get up in her heels without falling right back on her ass again. So she sat there until she felt someone kneel down next to her, Kit’s hands wrapping her shoulders.

“Are you alright? Did you break something?” He demanded to know, moving his hands down her and she slapped them away.

“I’m fine, go away,” she grumbled, leaning on him as he helped her stand up.

“Are you insane, running on ice like that, you could have hurt yourself,” Kit scolded her, holding her tightly against his warm body and Rosalee cursed herself for not wanting to pull away. She could barely feel her toes, she was so cold and Kit was a welcome sight, no matter how much she didn’t want to admit it.

“I said I’m fine,” she went on stubbornly, her ankles snapping as she put her weight on. Kit caught her in a matter of moments and swung her in his arms.  
She barely complained as he pressed her to his chest, repositioning her body in his arms.

“Silly girl,” he groaned, taking her home.

-

"You could have really hurt yourself," Kit grumbled for probably the tenth time already, his hands brushing up and down her torn beige tights.

"But I didn't, now stop groaning, mom," Rosalee rolled her eyes, sitting on the counter in the dark kitchen. They have just arrived after Kit carried her home. Rosalee's parents were already asleep.

"It's your fault I've fallen," she called after him as he disappeared out of the kitchen to go grab the first aid kit.

"How is it my fault you decided to run down a fucking iced pavement?" He snarled, throwing the kit on the counter loudly. Rosalee gave him a cross look.

"Can you be any louder, I'm no mood to listen to my mother right now. You're giving me enough crap already."

"It would serve you well, since you're so stubborn," Kit spat back, kneeling down in front of her and inspecting her bruised knees. 

She felt a strange pang in her chest and it was not from what Kit had just said to her, but from his gaze travelling up and down her legs all the way up to her dress. She bit her lip, not wanting to anger him even more, though she would love nothing more but to give him a fair piece of her mind. It would do her no good in her position right now, so she wisely decided to let him do his work.

"I'll have to tear you tights, or maybe you want to help me."

Rosalee blinked dumbly at his face, the heat on her cheeks reminding her she had a dirty mind. 

"What -" she started, but as he raised his brows at her she quickly nodded, collecting her shameful thoughts. 

"Just tear them, they're already ruined."

Kit nodded, giving her tights a hard pull before ripping them off her. She gulped at his action, strange excitement rushing through her body. She had to bit hard on her tongue to keep the moan from escaping her throat.

She didn't know if he sensed her change or if he started to feel it too, but when he looked back up, his eyes never met hers. They stopped on various places - her breasts, her lips, her crotch. Then he lowered his gaze again, clearing his throat into the awkward silence.

Rosalee let out a cat-like hiss when he disinfected her knees and Kit's lips curled. "I hope you're not enjoying this," she warned, leaning forward. 

He met her eyes finally, an amusing spark in his brown eyes. "Of course not," he lied teasingly.

"I'll kick you," she groaned, folding her arms.

"You're going to kick your saviour?" He questioned, laughing at the same time.

She mumbled under her breath, Kit grabbing her by the hand and pulling her off the counter. "There, you should be fine," he whispered in her neck, his breath causing Rosalee to shiver.  
She looked away, nodding her head and was glad when Kit didn't stop her on her way up to her bedroom. She didn't know what was happening to her down there, but she was sure she didn't want him to stop touching and ogling her. She couldn't be falling for him again; it would simply be too pathetic.

-

Rosalee woke the next morning, her bruised knees giving her a butt loud of pain. She cursed herself for being such an idiot last night. She wondered how many times she was going to embarrass herself in front of Kit these holidays.

Sitting up, she got out of her bed, dressing in Christmassy leggings and a warm fuzzy sweater. She put her hair up into a messy bun before jogging down into the kitchen. Kit was already there, having breakfast with her parents. 

She said her good mornings and sat down. Rosalee's parents were oblivious to what had happened to her last night and she was thankful Kit didn't tell them anything else but that they had a great time at Katie's party.

Kit's phone ringing pulled her out of her thoughts and she looked up at his face. He excused himself nicely and stood up, leaving the dining room. She finished her breakfast before he returned and she found herself standing in front of his room, trying to catch some of the conversation he was having. She wondered who was calling him when he was on holidays. Did he have a girlfriend that she so stupidly forgot to even think about?   
Shaking her head, she went back down to the empty living room and sat on the couch. A moment later, her phone rang. Her eyebrows raised, she stared at the unknown number for a brief second before sliding across the green button and answering.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Rosalee, it's Donnie." Rosalee smiled, recognising his voice.

"Oh, hi, Donnie, sorry I didn't have your number."

"That's alright. Hey, I've spoken with my friend and he gave me his sister's phone number," Donnie told, a sign of pride in his voice.

"Really? That's so great, oh, thank you, Donnie. I really don't know how to pay you back," Rosalee shot up, walking around the living as she just couldn't sit in place.

Donnie laughed, "I'll text you her number, okay? In the mean time, I do have a pretty good idea on you paying me back."

Rosalee's forehead crumpled. "You do?" She asked, sceptically.

She heard him chuckle again. "Don't worry, it's nothing horrible. I just thought that maybe you’d want to go out with me to dinner."

There was a pause and he probably expected an answer. Rosalee bit her lip. Donnie was a good friend, but she didn’t want to go out with him. It would be weird; he was not at all her type. She watched as Kit walked in then, his eyes stopping on her.

"Rosalee, are you still there?" She looked away from Kit quickly, sucking in a breath.

"Uh, yes. And sure we can go out," she breathed out the air she was holding in, spotting Kit who walked closer to her, a frown on his face. He mouthed 'who is that' at her but she just ignored him.

"Great, how about tonight?" Donnie suggested and Rosalee rolled her eyes at Kit who still wanted to know who she was talking to.

"Yes, yes, tonight's great. At 8? Yeah, will do. Okay, bye, Donnie." She ended the call just as Kit scoffed.

"Donnie? You're going out with Donnie? You got to be kidding me!" He exclaimed, shaking his head in diasgreement.

"What's wrong with him?" Rosalee wanted to know. "He did me a favour and -"

"So this is his payment?" Kit guessed and Rosalee shrugged.

"I don’t mind, he's a good friend." She sat down on the couch, looking at Kit's face.

"He wants to get you in his bed, Rosalee, don’t be so naive!"

Rosalee shot up, throwing a pillow his way. He dodged it quickly, glaring at her.

"You better watch your mouth, Kit, because you're in a dangerous territory," Rosalee threatened.

"Maybe you should learn a thing or two about the world," he yelled back.

"Asshole," she murmured, realising with shock she was about to cry. She turned around, letting out a deep breath.

There was an awkward pause between them and she heard him sigh behind her, the next moment his hand reached out for her.

"Fuck, I'm really sorry, Rosalee, I'm an idiot," he apologised with a hushed tone, his warm fingers rubbing her shoulder.

She gulped, trying to swallow the lump in her throat. "It's fine. What was your call about?" She changed the topic.

Kit sighed deeply again, waiting for her to turn around before replying.

"The directors of Thrones called me, they want me at a New Year’s party for publicity stuff," he explained, his tired eyes letting her know he didn’t really want to go.

"That sucks," she shook her head. "You just got here."

He smiled bitterly at her. "Yeah, I know, I'm sorry." He didn't need to apologise to her for going, but he felt like he had to.

"When are you leaving?" She asked quietly.

"Tomorrow morning."

-

“Why are you all dressed up?”

Rosalee surprised Kit when she appeared in the hallway, wearing black tights that she paired up with a black blouse, which had a rounded low neckline on the back, and a beige skirt. Her black high heels were echoing as she walked closer to him. He couldn’t help but notice she looked very appealing with her curly hair, that was put in a neat ponytail, and a beige lipstick on her full lips.

Raising her dark blonde eyebrows, she waited for his answer. He smiled, meeting her eyes finally and tucking his hands in the pockets of his dark blue skinny jeans. “I have a date, too,” he responded, tapping with his boots.

“Why?” She blurted out, and as he chuckled, her cheeks turned pink.

“What I meant was...” she started, but he raised his hand, interrupting her. “It’s fine, I know what you meant. And I invited Katie Bell on a date, figured out for old time sakes,” he explained, his smile dropping when Rosalee’s eyes changed from relaxed to horrified.

“You can’t be serious,” she gaped. “Katie Bell, ugh,” she groaned in disgust, rolling her eyes, a sound of the doorbell stopping their conversation.

“Be nice, Rosalee, we’re having a double date,” Kit winked at her and opened the doors, so Rosalee had very little time to recollect herself. A double date?!

“Oh, Kit, hi,” Katie’s high-pitched voice filled Rosalee’s ears and she frowned, spotting Donnie standing next to her as well. He looked uncomfortable and kind of out of place. Rosalee smiled at him, knowing exactly how he felt, and stepped outside with Kit following her closely behind.

“So, a double date, huh?” Katie nudged Rosalee’s side playfully and sent her one of her famous ‘I got a hotter date’ kind of wink.

Rosalee smiled forcefully, turning away from her. She couldn’t believe Kit had done that to her. First he decided to go out with Katie, and then set up a double date. It was unbelievable!

 

The double date turned out not as bad as Rosalee expected it would be. Donnie was extremely charming and kind all the time, ordering food and drinks for her, as for Kit and Katie, she kept trying to seduce him shamelessly, but he seemed oblivious to all her nasty tricks. Which put a smile on Rosalee’s face, either she liked it or not.

The date was slowly ending and Rosalee was determined to completely ignore Kit’s stupid jokes and comments that were sent her way, only focusing on Donnie. His eyes lit up every time she touched his hand or smiled at him, which Rosalee thought was very cute and somehow she liked how Kit’s face dropped whenever she flirted with Donnie. It was amusing how much he wanted to cover up his jealousy, but was failing miserably.

They were at a point, where Kit was out on a cigarette and Katie went to the bathroom, ‘powdering her nose’. Rosalee wickedly imagined Katie would need a whole lot more powdering than just her stupid nose.

“You’re really stunning tonight, Rosalee,” Donnie complimented, leaning closer to her ear, which made her turn her head to him. She smiled softly, at the same time pulling away a little. It was fun flirting with Donnie but only as long as Kit was around and he was able to see it.  
She realised she didn’t really find Donnie as attractive as she found Kit. Why she was attracted to Kit, she had no idea. Well, ignoring the fact that he was extremely hot, everything about him was just pure bliss and his smile was more than amazing. So basically, she was screwed.

“Thank you, Donnie, you’re really sweet.”

“I am, aren’t I?” He grinned, his hand finding its way under the table and on her thigh. Rosalee forced a smile and moved away uncomfortably.

“Oh, come on, Rosalee, give me a little something.” If there was something Rosalee had expected to hear from Donnie, that was definitely not it. It felt like he changed in a matter of seconds, his gaze getting darker and when he licked his lips, she swallowed hard, slapping his hand away from her legs.

“What are you doing?” she whispered, trying to keep his hands away from her, which just kept grabbing her thighs and reaching under her skirt.

“Stop it,” she hissed, struggling to keep his dirty hands away from her.

“Come on, Rosalee, you’ve been flirting with me all evening, I know what you want from me,” he continued, his dirty words sending a wave of fear down her body.

“No, I don’t want that,” Rosalee insisted, the lump in her throat almost preventing her to speak normally.

Donnie leaned further forward, his lips searching for Rosalee’s. “Stop!” She schrieked, and she heard him growl, but he didn’t get to say anything else, since he was suddenly pulled away from her with full force. Rosalee bolted up, her breath getting caught up in her throat.

Kit grabbed Donnie’s collar roughly, his eyes blazing with anger. “What do you think you’re doing?” He gritted through his teeth and Rosalee didn’t remember ever seeing him that angry.

Donnie gulped, fear present in his wide eyes. “She’s my date, man, calm down. I-“

“I swear to God, I’ll rip out your tongue and broke both your hands if you ever dare to touch her again, you got that?” Kit whispered, pushing Donnie back in his seat again and the man stumbled, barely catching himself. He nodded quickly and Kit let him go just in time the bartender came in view.

“Is everything alright, sirs?” His serious voice made Kit look up into his face and he smiled as honestly a he could.

“Everything is great, the lady and I were just leaving, but this generous young man here offered to pay for everyone's dinner tonight,” Kit explained calmly, Rosalee’s eyes moving from Donnie to Kit in shock. She grabbed her purse, walking closer to Kit as Donnie stood up.

“No, that is not what –“he began, but Kit cut him off.

“He is very giving, sir. Enjoy the evening and say good night to Katie for me,” he smiled once again, wrapping his hand around Rosalee’s waist firmly before leaving the restaurant.

She didn’t say anything when they got into his car or when they drove home in silence. She was too amazed by Kit’s reaction and everything he had just done. She also couldn’t believe Donnie and what he dared to do to her. What a pig. And there she was, thinking he was genuinely interested in being her friend and helping her. She wondered, if his friend’s sister would want to help her with modelling after what happened tonight.

She was lost in her thoughts by the time they came back to her parents' house and went inside. She didn’t even notice when she took off her coat and heels.

“Rosie?” She heard Kit call her by her nickname, which he had never usually done, but she didn’t react. Only when he grabbed her forearm gently, she snapped out of her reprieve and blinked at him confusingly.

“What?” she asked and his eyes let her know he was worried.

“I’m sorry about what happened tonight, but I’m glad I was there, because...” He paused, his jaw tightening.

“It’s okay, I think,” Rosalee shook her head, shrugging. “I should’ve known, I guess...”

“No, you couldn’t,” Kit disagreed, rubbing her shoulders and she couldn’t focus on his serious words when he was so close and his hands felt so good against her skin.

“I swear, if he ever dares to, to... even...” He breathed out, looking away and it was obivous to her, he was trying his best to stay calm.

“I’m pretty sure he won’t,” she smiled then, causing him to turn back to her. “I think you scared the shit out of him tonight and he’ll be broke,” she laughed and his lips curled into a smile when he watched her chuckle.

“Yeah, well it’s no less than he deserved. Bloody bastard,” Kit growled before his eyes softened and his hands dropped to his side.

“I think I’ll get some sleep now, it’s been a crazy night,” Rosalee informed him and he nodded, watching her turn and head up the stars.  
He really wanted to say something else, to really make her feel better, but he didn’t know how to put it, how to stop her from leaving his side. And the knowing of him leaving tomorrow was just another reason he couldn’t tell her how he felt.


	4. The Confession

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains mature content.

“Rosalee? Are you asleep?”

Rosalee’s face crumpled at the light coming from the hall. She sat up, rubbing her sleepy eyes. Someone stepped in her room and closed the doors behind him. He pulled her up by her hands before she could protest and she let out a groan instead.

“Kit? What the hell?” She complained, gaining a hushed chuckle from him.

“I’ve got an idea,” he whispered close to her face and she woke up at the feeling of his hot tingling breath against her cheek. She looked into his almost black eyes, trying to read the expression on his face in the darkness.

“What time is it?” She asked, but Kit was already pulling her towards the door. She was instantly freezing, dressed up in only her lacy underwear and a silky short night gown.

“Around one in the morning,” he answered, just as quietly as before, pushing her out into the hallway.

“Kit, it’s freezing, I want to go back to my warm bed,” she murmured, groaning loudly.

“Shush, or you’ll wake up your parents,” he grinned into her neck, his hands settled on her back and she moaned back in response.

They were at the front door in no time and he helped her put on her boots, before pushing her out half naked into the cold night.

“Are you insane, I’m going to –“ Rosalee tried again, but he was already pulling her across the street. She had to blink a couple of times to realise he was leading her towards his parents’ house.

“Why are we going to your house, Kit? Are we stealing something?” She questioned, and Kit laughed, this time louder, jogging up the porch steps.  
He bent down and picked a key from under the doormat, unlocking the house quickly.

“Kit,” Rosalee hissed lowly, when he pushed her in without any explanation whatsoever. He closed the doors behind them quietly and Rosalee looked around the dark house. She remembered it well; it was the same as years ago when she used to hang out here with Kit.

“Let’s go,” Kit pulled her out of her thoughts and they walked into the living room. There was a set of pillows and blankets in the middle, a huge plasma television turned on, on the wall.

Rosalee’s eyebrows formed a line on her forehead as she looked at the scene in front of her. “Come on,” Kit wagged his head, sitting down on the cosy blankets.

“What are we doing?” Rosalee’s voice was a pitch higher, she was now fully alert. She was also still cold and she had noticed Kit was wearing only his pyjama pants and a black t-shirt.

“We’re watching a movie,” Kit rolled his eyes as if it wasn’t obvious enough. “A scary movie,” he added, grinning from ear to ear and stretched his hand at her. She narrowed her eyes, slowly walking closer to him. Once she was in his reach, he took her hand and almost pulled her onto him. She scooted awkwardly to the side and he laughed at her clumsiness, causing her to roll her eyes.

“Why exactly are we watching a scary movie at your house at one in the morning?” Rosalee pointed out in disbelief. “What if someone drives by and thinks they’re robbing the house?”

Kit shook his head. “Nobody’s going to drive by, Rosie. And we’re watching this because I’m leaving in a couple of hours and I don’t want to sleep when I can spend them with you.”

Rosalee blushed bright red at his words and was thankful the room was so dark. “Always the charmer,” she groaned and he nudged her softly before hitting play on the remote control.

Kit positioned himself and leaned back, waiting for Rosalee to settle next to him. But she was scared of getting comfortable so close to him, she knew she was going to get that weird feeling as soon as their bodies are going to touch. She’ll want to kiss him, was the exact term she was looking for.

“I hope you’re not planning on watching a two-hour movie all the way over there in your little –“ Kit paused, smirking slyly. He tapped the empty spot right next to him and looked at her unreadable expression.

Rosalee bit her lip before slowly moving closer to him. The truth was she wanted his warmth and his closeness more than she dared to admit. And her body was so cold, she almost couldn’t feel it anymore. So when Kit pulled her against him, she couldn’t help but giggle when he jumped as her cold skin came in touch with his warm.

“God, you’re freezing,” he whispered and she didn’t expect him to, which resonated in a bunch of twists in her stomach. She wrapped her hands around his torso, he doing the same. She squeezed against him, her head resting on his rising chest as her eyes stopped on the television.

“Now, is that better?” He asked quietly, his chin on her head. She murmured back in reply and the way his fingers ran up and down her back, she had to gather all her strength not to purr like a kitten. The warmer she got, the sleepier she was, but she didn’t want to fall asleep. She didn’t want to watch the movie either, and she had a pretty good idea on what she really wanted to do right now.

She didn’t even flinch on the scary parts of the movie, not even when the killer stuck his knife into the innocent girl and slid her open. She was too busy wondering what Kit looked like without his clothes on and how good his lips would feel on hers. Her bottom lip was beginning to hurt at how much she was biting it.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t stop her trail of thoughts and she snuggled tighter against him, his hands gripping her just as tightly as she wanted them to.

She barely realised the movie was over, when the credits rolled on the television and Kit moved under her slowly. She made a fatal mistake then, turning her head and looking into his eyes. Then she felt his hand slid lower on her back, starting to from circles on her butt.

His eyes were already on hers when she finally met his and a moment after his lips sealed with hers. She couldn’t think, she was too busy answering him with her mouth, her tongue, of how much she, too, wanted him.

Suppressing a moan, she climbed on his body, the hardness in Kit’s pants causing her to smile and break the kiss. Kit groaned when he felt her wiggle against him and he cupped her face.

“Rosalee,” he breathed out, his hot breath hitting her swollen lips.

“Mmm,” she responded, half in trance from the kissing she has just experienced. She leaned in and kissed him again, Kit not bothering to return it. His hands left her face quickly and found their way down her side and gripping her ass cheeks, invoking a squeal from her lips.

It was now his turn to grin and break the kiss. He began kissing and biting her neck, and she has somehow found herself straddling him, the blankets in a mess around them.

When he pushed her to the ground, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down for another kiss. His warm, demanding hands roamed up her gown and stopped at her bra, his palms cupping each breast. She moaned again into his mouth, wrapping her legs around his hips.

In a matter of minutes, her gown was flying off somewhere out of her sight range on the floor. Not that she’d be looking for it. Tongues intertwined, Kit reached up, groaning, squeezing her breast and tweaking a nipple through the fabric of her bra. Rosalee moaned yet again and was aware of his excitement immediately when he pulled closer.

As she reached down, trying to pull down his pyjamas, he suddenly stopped, grabbing her wrist. She gave him an arched look.

“What is it?”

“You sure?” He asked and she rolled her eyes. “Of course I’m sure, can’t you see?” She answered impatiently, trying to free her hands. He smiled at her, and placed another kiss on her lips before drawing back and pulling his shirt over his head. He made a mess out of his curls, revealing also the rippling six pack Rosalee would never expect to find under his shirt - not even in her wildest dreams - and the well defined, muscular arms.

He placed his hands on the ground on each side of her head, leaning onto her and planting another set of hot kisses on her face, driving her to madness. His fingers undid the bra clasps and pulled down her panties, before she could blink twice. He drew back again, taking her in and biting on his lower lip and humming. Once he pulled down his pants, she was the one biting on her lip, her eyes roaming up and down his body.

Neither of them lasted long, when he reached down between her legs, wrapping himself around her as he did so and thrusting hard, then teasing her with two fingers, rubbing back and forth and whispering all kinds of cusses in her ear. She cried out, her loud moans of ecstasy as she came, were more than he could bear.  
Kit came too and they both collapsed on the ground, the blankets and pillows they were previously lying on, scattered all around the living room. Their gasping breaths were the only noise in the silent house and as Kit’s arm curled around her, Rosalee grinned. This was by far the best thing she could have ever imagined getting for Christmas.

They were quiet and Rosalee didn’t want to break the moment, she was sure neither did Kit. She curled up closer to him, Kit’s lips kissing her forehead. When the tiredness slowly started to sweep over her, Kit suddenly spoke up.

“Come to New York with me.”

Rosalee blinked in the darkness, not being sure if she heard correctly. When she didn’t respond, he repeated his statement, gripping her chin so she met his wondering eyes.

“Are you sure?” She whispered, enjoying the circles Kit’s soft fingers were doing around her cheek.

“I’m pretty sure,” he nodded, planting a gentle kiss against her parted lips.

“But...” she bit her bottom lip. “Is that – I mean,” she sighed, trying very hard to look away, but his steady hand kept her eyes focused on his.

“The whole time I’ve been here, Rosalee,” he began, leaning on his elbow, so she was now again under his body. She didn’t have anywhere else to look but his face. “When I saw you after almost six years, I knew what I left behind that day.”

“Kit...” she gulped, reaching up and running her fingers through his tangled curls.

He rubbed her hands, intertwining his fingers with hers. “I’ve left you behind and I don’t ever want to do that again.” He met her gaze then and leaned closer, his lips barely touching hers.

“Come to New York with me, please,” he whispered so quietly, she needed a moment to understand his sentence.

She was at a loss for words, but she nodded and she kept nodding until he smiled, pulling her into a tight embrace.

“I will,” she then finally breathed into his ear. “I’ll go wherever you go.”


End file.
